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Numbers 22-24
New Catholic Bible
Numbers 22-24
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 22[a]
1 [b]Then the people of Israel traveled to the plains of Moab and camped along the Jordan across from Jericho.
Balak Summons Balaam. 2 Now Balak, the son of Zippor, had seen everything that Israel had done to the Amorites, 3 and Moab was terrified because there were so many people, and Moab was filled with dread of the people of Israel. 4 Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This mob will lick up everything around us just like an ox licks up grass in the pasture.”
Balak, the son of Zippor, was the king of the Moabites at this time. 5 He sent messengers to Pethor which is near the river[c] in his native land, to Balaam, the son of Beor, to summon him. He said, “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt and they cover the surface of the earth. They are now living opposite me. 6 Please come now and curse this people for me for they are too powerful for me. Maybe then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. I know well that whomever you bless is blessed, and whomever you curse is cursed.”
7 The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian left, carrying the fee for the divination in their hands. They came to Balaam, and they told him what Balak had said. 8 He said to them, “Spend the night here, and I will bring you the answer the Lord gives me.” So the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam. 9 God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” 10 Balaam said to God, “Balak, the son of Zippor, the king of Moab, sent for me, saying, 11 ‘Behold, a people has come out of Egypt who now covers the face of the earth. Now come and curse them for me. Perhaps I will be able to defeat them and drive them away.’ ” 12 But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. Do not curse the people, for they are blessed.”[d]
13 The next morning Balaam arose and said to Balak’s representatives, “Go back to your country, for the Lord refuses to allow me to go with you.”
14 The leaders of Moab returned and said to Balak, “Balaam refused to come with us.” 15 So Balak sent some more leaders, even more distinguished than the others. 16 They came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak, the son of Zippor: ‘Please, let nothing keep you from coming to me 17 for I will honor you greatly, and I will do whatever you ask of me. Please come and curse this people.’ ” 18 Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak: “If Balak were to grant me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, small or great, contrary to the word of the Lord, my God. 19 But now, please stay here this night as well, so that I may know what the Lord says to me.” 20 God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If these men have come to summon you, rise up and go with them, but do only what I tell you.”
21 Balaam’s Donkey. Balaam arose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab. 22 But God grew very angry because he had gone, and so an angel of the Lord blocked his path on the roadway. He was riding on a donkey and his two servants were with him. 23 The donkey saw the angel of the Lord[e] standing in the roadway with his drawn sword in his hand, and the donkey left the roadway and wandered into the field. Balaam beat the donkey to force it back onto the roadway.
24 Then an angel of the Lord stood in the narrow pathway in the vineyards, walls standing on either side. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed so close to the wall that it crushed Balaam’s foot against it, so he beat it again. 26 Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place that had no room to turn either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam who became angry and beat it with a staff.
28 The Lord opened the donkey’s mouth and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?” 29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me. If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!” 30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, which you have always ridden, even til today? Have I ever done this to you before?” He said, “No.” 31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. He bowed down and fell flat on his face. 32 The angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you for the path before you is wrong. 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. Otherwise, I would surely have killed you, but it I would have spared.”
34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I did not realize that you were standing there opposing my way. If I have displeased you, then I will go back.” 35 The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but say only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with the leaders to Balak.
36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to Moab to meet him, a city which is on the Arnon border, at the farthest edge of his territory. 37 Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not summon you urgently? Why have you not come to me? Am I not able to reward you?” 38 Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you now. Do I have any power to say anything? I will only speak the word that God puts in my mouth.”
39 Balaam went with Balak, and they arrived in Kiriath-huzoth. 40 Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent some of its meat to Balaam and the leaders who were with him. 41 The next day Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal so that he might see the outposts of the people.
Chapter 23
Balaam’s First Oracle.[f] 1 Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven oxen and seven rams for me.” 2 Balak did what Balaam had told him to do. Then Balak and Balaam offered a young bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your offerings, and I will go off a bit. Perhaps the Lord will come to visit me. I will tell you whatever he reveals to me.” He then went off to a high place.
4 God visited Balaam. He said, “I have prepared seven altars and I have offered a young bull and a ram upon each altar.” 5 The Lord put a message in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak and proclaim this.”
6 So he returned to him and found him standing by his sacrifice, he and the leaders of Moab. 7 Then he proclaimed his oracle:
“Balak has brought me from Aram,
the king of Moab from the eastern mountains saying,
‘Come, and curse Jacob,
come and denounce Israel!’
8 How shall I curse those whom God has not cursed,
how shall I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced?[g]
9 From the top of the rocks I see him,
from the hills I behold him.
Behold, a people dwelling alone,
not counted among the nations.
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob,
or number one-fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,
let my end be like his.”
11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have bountifully blessed them.” 12 But he answered, “Must I not proclaim what the Lord has put into my mouth?”
13 Balaam’s Second Oracle. Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place. There you will be able to see them, but only their outposts; you will not see all of them. You can curse them for me from there.”
14 So he brought him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah. He built seven altars, and he offered a young bull and a ram on each altar. 15 He said to Balak, “Stand here by your offering, and I will meet the Lord over there.” 16 The Lord visited Balaam and put a word in his mouth saying, “Go back again to Balak and proclaim this.”
17 He returned to him. He was standing by his offering, he and the leaders of Moab with him. Balak said to him, “What has the Lord said?” 18 He took up his oracle and said,
“Arise, Balak, and hear;
listen to me, son of Zippor!
19 God is not human, that he should lie,[h]
or the son of man, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act,
does he promise and then not fulfill it?
20 Behold, I have received a blessing;
he has blessed, and I cannot change it.
21 No misfortune is seen in Jacob,
no misery is seen in Israel.
The Lord, their God, is with them;
the shout of a king is among them.
22 God has brought them out of Egypt;
they are as strong as a wild ox.
23 There is truly no sorcery against Jacob,
nor any divination against Israel.
Now it will be said of Jacob and Israel,
‘What God has done!’
24 Behold, a people rises up like a lioness,
like a young lion it lifts itself up.
It will not lie down again until it eats the prey
and drinks the blood of the slain.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Then do not either curse them in any way or bless them in any way!” 26 But Balaam answered Balak saying, “Did I not tell you: ‘All that the Lord says I must do!’ ”
27 Balaam’s Third Oracle. Balak said to Balaam, “Please come, I will take you to another place. Perhaps God will allow you to curse them for me here.” 28 Then Balak brought Balaam to the top of Peor, to a place that faced Jeshimon. 29 Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me.” 30 Balak did what Balaam had told him to do, and he offered a young bull and a ram on each of the altars.
Chapter 24
1 When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go to seek omens as he did before, but rather faced the wilderness. 2 Balaam raised his eyes and he saw Israel camped tribe by tribe. The Spirit of God came upon him[i] 3 and he took up his oracle:
“The oracle of Balaam, the son of Beor,
the oracle of one whose eye is opened.[j]
4 The oracle of one who hears the words of God,
who sees a vision of the Almighty;
who falls down, with eyes wide open.
5 How pleasant are your tents, O Jacob,
and your dwelling places, O Israel.
6 Like valleys they spread out,
like gardens beside a river;
like aloes that the Lord has planted,
like cedars beside the waters;
7 like water that pours forth from buckets,
their seed will be mighty waters.
Their king will be higher than Agag,[k]
their kingdom will be exalted.
8 God has brought them forth from Egypt,
their strength is that of the wild ox.
They will devour nations,
they will break the bones of their enemies,
they will pierce them through with their arrows.
9 He crouches down, he lay down like a lion; who dare rouse him?
Blessed is the one who blesses him,
but cursed is the one who curses him.”
10 Balak became enraged at Balaam. Balak clasped his hands together and said to Balaam, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times. 11 Now then, leave and go home. I told you that I would reward you richly, but the Lord has kept you from being paid.”
12 But Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers who sent for me, 13 ‘If Balak were to give me a house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord on my own either for good or for bad. Whatever the Lord proclaims, that I must speak!’ 14 Now I am going back to my own people; come, allow me to let you know what this people will do to your people in the future.”
15 Balaam’s Fourth Oracle. So he took up the oracle and said,
“Balaam, the son of Beor,
the man whose eyes are open says,
16 The oracle of he
who has heard the words of God,
who has knowledge of the Most High,
who sees the vision of the Almighty,
who falls down with his eyes open:
17 [l]I see him, but not now.
I behold him, but not near.
A star comes forth from Jacob,
and a scepter rises out of Israel.
He will crush the brow of Moab,
he will destroy the children of Seth.
18 Edom[m] will become a possession,
and Seir also will become a possession of its enemies,
but Israel will grow strong.
19 A ruler will come out of Jacob,
he will destroy the remnant of the city.”
20 He then looked toward Amalek and said,
“Amalek was the first of the nations,
but he will be the last until he perishes.”
21 He looked upon the Kenites[n] and took up his oracle and said,
“Strong is your dwelling place,
and your nest is in the rock;
22 but Kain will be consumed.
How long until Asshur[o] carries you away as a captive?”
23 He continued his oracle saying,
“Alas, who can live when God does this?
24 Ships will come from Kittim,
and will humble Asshur and Eber.
They, too, will face destruction.”
25 Then Balaam got up and went home, and Balak also went his way.
Footnotes
- Numbers 22:1 Arms were unable to halt the progress of the people of God. Balak, king of Moab, seeks to mobilize magical powers against them. In order to bring down a curse upon Israel, he calls upon the famous Balaam, a man of upright conscience who acts in good faith; but the soothsayer can only submit to God, who is more powerful than any sorcery.
- Numbers 22:1 The account vividly describes negotiations and an agreement on the practice known as incubation, which consisted in consulting the divinity through dreams. For the biblical editor there is only one God; it must therefore be none other than he who responds to the consulting soothsayer.
- Numbers 22:5 The river is the Euphrates.
- Numbers 22:12 They are blessed: the people of Israel were under God’s protection as promised to Abraham (see Gen 12:2-3) their Father.
- Numbers 22:23 The donkey saw the angel of the Lord: Balaam’s magical powers did not go as far as his dumb beast’s sensitivity in recognizing the messenger of the Lord.
- Numbers 23:1 The story of Balaam is told here chiefly in order to bring in the oracles of blessing. What is reported here is certainly very ancient traditions, comparable to the blessings of Jacob (Gen 49) and of Moses (Deut 33).
- Numbers 23:8 Balaam cannot do what Balak asks of him because God is protecting his people. None of Balaam’s tricks can negate God’s blessing on them.
- Numbers 23:19 God is not human, that he should lie: Balaam’s lack of integrity and honesty are far removed from the steadfast mercy and goodness of God.
- Numbers 24:2 The Spirit of God came upon him: the unusual wording here suggests that God has intervened and will use Balaam for his purposes.
- Numbers 24:3 One whose eye is opened: one who scrutinizes the secrets of God.
- Numbers 24:7 Agag: the king of the Amalekites, whom Saul will conquer (1 Sam 15:8).
- Numbers 24:17 This star, the sign of a hero sent by God, heralds King David, in keeping with the ancient promises made to Judah (Gen 49:10); this hero was expected to make subjects of the peoples who were Israel’s neighbors. But behind this conqueror can be seen the glorious Messiah, Jesus Son of David (Mt 2:2; Rev 22:16).
- Numbers 24:18 Edom: in the Negeb, the desert in southern Palestine.
- Numbers 24:21 Kenites: nomads of southern Palestine.
- Numbers 24:22 Asshur: the tribe of the Asshurites (Gen 25:3), rather than the Assyrians.
Numbers 22-24
New International Version
Numbers 22-24
New International Version
Balak Summons Balaam
22 Then the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab(A) and camped along the Jordan(B) across from Jericho.(C)
2 Now Balak son of Zippor(D) saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, 3 and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread(E) because of the Israelites.
4 The Moabites(F) said to the elders of Midian,(G) “This horde is going to lick up everything(H) around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.(I)”
So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, 5 sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor,(J) who was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River,(K) in his native land. Balak said:
“A people has come out of Egypt;(L) they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. 6 Now come and put a curse(M) on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land.(N) For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.”
7 The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination.(O) When they came to Balaam, they told him what Balak had said.
8 “Spend the night here,” Balaam said to them, “and I will report back to you with the answer the Lord gives me.(P)” So the Moabite officials stayed with him.
9 God came to Balaam(Q) and asked,(R) “Who are these men with you?”
10 Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message: 11 ‘A people that has come out of Egypt covers the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps then I will be able to fight them and drive them away.’”
12 But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.(S)”
13 The next morning Balaam got up and said to Balak’s officials, “Go back to your own country, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”
14 So the Moabite officials returned to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15 Then Balak sent other officials, more numerous and more distinguished than the first. 16 They came to Balaam and said:
“This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Do not let anything keep you from coming to me, 17 because I will reward you handsomely(T) and do whatever you say. Come and put a curse(U) on these people for me.”
18 But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God.(V) 19 Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the Lord will tell me.(W)”
20 That night God came to Balaam(X) and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.”(Y)
Balaam’s Donkey
21 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. 22 But God was very angry(Z) when he went, and the angel of the Lord(AA) stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword(AB) in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it(AC) to get it back on the road.
24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again.
26 Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry(AD) and beat it with his staff. 28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth,(AE) and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?(AF)”
29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.(AG)”
30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”
“No,” he said.
31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes,(AH) and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.
32 The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.[a] 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now,(AI) but I would have spared it.”
34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned.(AJ) I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.”
35 The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials.
36 When Balak(AK) heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon(AL) border, at the edge of his territory. 37 Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you?”
38 “Well, I have come to you now,” Balaam replied. “But I can’t say whatever I please. I must speak only what God puts in my mouth.”(AM)
39 Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth. 40 Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep,(AN) and gave some to Balaam and the officials who were with him. 41 The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal,(AO) and from there he could see the outskirts of the Israelite camp.(AP)
Balaam’s First Message
23 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams(AQ) for me.” 2 Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(AR)
3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me.(AS) Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height.
4 God met with him,(AT) and Balaam said, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”
5 The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth(AU) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”(AV)
6 So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials.(AW) 7 Then Balaam(AX) spoke his message:(AY)
“Balak brought me from Aram,(AZ)
the king of Moab from the eastern mountains.(BA)
‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me;
come, denounce Israel.’(BB)
8 How can I curse
those whom God has not cursed?(BC)
How can I denounce
those whom the Lord has not denounced?(BD)
9 From the rocky peaks I see them,
from the heights I view them.(BE)
I see a people who live apart
and do not consider themselves one of the nations.(BF)
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob(BG)
or number even a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,(BH)
and may my final end be like theirs!(BI)”
11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies,(BJ) but you have done nothing but bless them!”(BK)
12 He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”(BL)
Balaam’s Second Message
13 Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place(BM) where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp.(BN) And from there, curse them for me.(BO)” 14 So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah,(BP) and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(BQ)
15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there.”
16 The Lord met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth(BR) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”
17 So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the Moabite officials.(BS) Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”
18 Then he spoke his message:(BT)
“Arise, Balak, and listen;
hear me, son of Zippor.(BU)
19 God is not human,(BV) that he should lie,(BW)
not a human being, that he should change his mind.(BX)
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise(BY) and not fulfill?
20 I have received a command to bless;(BZ)
he has blessed,(CA) and I cannot change it.(CB)
21 “No misfortune is seen in Jacob,(CC)
no misery observed[b] in Israel.(CD)
The Lord their God is with them;(CE)
the shout of the King(CF) is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt;(CG)
they have the strength of a wild ox.(CH)
23 There is no divination against[c] Jacob,
no evil omens(CI) against[d] Israel.
It will now be said of Jacob
and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’
24 The people rise like a lioness;(CJ)
they rouse themselves like a lion(CK)
that does not rest till it devours its prey
and drinks the blood(CL) of its victims.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”
26 Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?”(CM)
Balaam’s Third Message
27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come, let me take you to another place.(CN) Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me(CO) from there.” 28 And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor,(CP) overlooking the wasteland.
29 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” 30 Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(CQ)
24 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel,(CR) he did not resort to divination(CS) as at other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness.(CT) 2 When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him(CU) 3 and he spoke his message:
“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,(CV)
4 the prophecy of one who hears the words of God,(CW)
who sees a vision from the Almighty,[e](CX)
who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:
5 “How beautiful are your tents,(CY) Jacob,
your dwelling places, Israel!
6 “Like valleys they spread out,
like gardens beside a river,(CZ)
like aloes(DA) planted by the Lord,
like cedars beside the waters.(DB)
7 Water will flow from their buckets;
their seed will have abundant water.
8 “God brought them out of Egypt;
they have the strength of a wild ox.
They devour hostile nations
and break their bones in pieces;(DE)
with their arrows they pierce them.(DF)
9 Like a lion they crouch and lie down,
like a lioness(DG)—who dares to rouse them?
10 Then Balak’s anger burned(DJ) against Balaam. He struck his hands together(DK) and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies,(DL) but you have blessed them(DM) these three times.(DN) 11 Now leave at once and go home!(DO) I said I would reward you handsomely,(DP) but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.”
12 Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me,(DQ) 13 ‘Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord(DR)—and I must say only what the Lord says’?(DS) 14 Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come.”(DT)
Balaam’s Fourth Message
15 Then he spoke his message:
“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
16 the prophecy of one who hears the words(DU) of God,
who has knowledge from the Most High,(DV)
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:
17 “I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near.(DW)
A star will come out of Jacob;(DX)
a scepter will rise out of Israel.(DY)
He will crush the foreheads of Moab,(DZ)
the skulls[f](EA) of[g] all the people of Sheth.[h]
18 Edom(EB) will be conquered;
Seir,(EC) his enemy, will be conquered,(ED)
but Israel(EE) will grow strong.
19 A ruler will come out of Jacob(EF)
and destroy the survivors of the city.”
Balaam’s Fifth Message
20 Then Balaam saw Amalek(EG) and spoke his message:
“Amalek was first among the nations,
but their end will be utter destruction.”(EH)
Balaam’s Sixth Message
21 Then he saw the Kenites(EI) and spoke his message:
“Your dwelling place is secure,(EJ)
your nest is set in a rock;
22 yet you Kenites will be destroyed
when Ashur(EK) takes you captive.”
Balaam’s Seventh Message
23 Then he spoke his message:
“Alas! Who can live when God does this?[i]
24 Ships will come from the shores of Cyprus;(EL)
they will subdue Ashur(EM) and Eber,(EN)
but they too will come to ruin.(EO)”
25 Then Balaam(EP) got up and returned home, and Balak went his own way.
Footnotes
- Numbers 22:32 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
- Numbers 23:21 Or He has not looked on Jacob’s offenses / or on the wrongs found
- Numbers 23:23 Or in
- Numbers 23:23 Or in
- Numbers 24:4 Hebrew Shaddai; also in verse 16
- Numbers 24:17 Samaritan Pentateuch (see also Jer. 48:45); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain.
- Numbers 24:17 Or possibly Moab, / batter
- Numbers 24:17 Or all the noisy boasters
- Numbers 24:23 Masoretic Text; with a different word division of the Hebrew The people from the islands will gather from the north.
New International Version (NIV) 
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